Motorcycles
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Love the Bell Moto 3, looks like a few other brands that have the same style. I have been going back and forth what I wanted to do with my next helmet, as I haven't ridden a DOT certified or full face in…years now. The Biltwell Novelty 3/4 is old now, as in my ears don't appreciate it and cold weather is just bad with it...bad ha. My ears are better with no dome or ear plugs in than wearing that 3/4!
So I been tossing what helmet to get, go cheap and save some money, but worry about fitment, noise, durability with some options. So I went with the one helmet that actually fits me PERFECTLY. Never had a comfier helmet...and won't obstruct my vision. Had to spend the extra cash on the best of the best, Arai XD-4. Always loved the ADV helmets since they came out. Be great for all 4 seasons for me and the vision is fantastic with it! Impossible to find a deal on one though, I did get it for under $500....which was next to impossible!
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3 Martini Lunch, a previous generation Triumph Thruxton modified by Icon.
There are more details at Return of the Café Racers, and the Icon 1000 website.
I find a lot of custom bikes draw from a fairly narrow palette, and this looks a bit different to the usual café racer inspired build. Sure, Icon have probably thrown a truck load of cash at it, but I like the end result.
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OK, so I complain that all customs look similar, and then I see this. I love it.
It's a Jawa two stroke that's been built by Urban Motor for the sprint at Glemseck 101. More at Bike EXIF.
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Triumph have decided to bolt superchargers to a couple of Thruxtons for the Glemseck 101 sprints. I can't argue with that logic.
The black bike uses a modified Speed Triple flyscreen, whilst the white one has the fairing and seat from a Daytona 675. Power output is up 60% to 140 bhp, with a similar bump in torque.
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Triumph have decided to bolt superchargers to a couple of Thruxtons for the Glemseck 101 sprints. I can't argue with that logic.
The builders skillfully integrated those chargers. Kawasaki proposed seven models with some form of forces induction after the release of the H2. While my Versys is a bit out of place in the Iron Heart world, I wouldn't mind a few PSI.
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The Versys is supposed to be a good, little bike. I haven't ridden one, but I recall seeing a review some years back where a journalist commented that he and his counterparts would choose it over other, more exotic machinery, as it just worked.
The H2 looks a beast, and I'm looking forward to seeing what else Kawasaki bring out. Suzuki are also rumoured to be building a production version of the Recursion, which could be promising.
The reverse side of the supercharged Thruxton isn't as neat, which is probably why there aren't so many photos of it. I'm hoping, probably in vain, that they bring out a kit.
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(And I still haven't done the Great Ocean Road, which is near me, though it's currently blocked due to landslides.)
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BKS Leather recently put together a set of leathers for the owner of a Ducati Café Racer, so they got a vintage twist. There are more photos on their Facebook page.
I'm off to Exmouth in October to get fitted up for a suit, and am planning something similar, although I'm after a two piece, and the top half will be closer to a Lewis Leathers or Buco J100 jacket. Here's one they did earlier, which I've probably already posted.
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I participated in The Distinguished Gentleman's Ride in Melbourne today. The idea is you dress up in your finery, and take your suitably hipster motorcycle out for a spin with a group of likeminded chaps.
I met up with a group at Pickings and Parry this morning, before heading off to Melbourne Museum for the ride. Here are some photos from the start of the event.
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When the Thruxton R was announced there was also talk of a collection of race parts. These included a quick shifter, high flow airfilter, hotter cam, and straight through race pipes.
It sounds like all of these have now been recalled.
If you've been following the news, the EPA hit Harley with a $12 million fine, plus a $3 million contribution to fund cleaner wood burning stoves. And this has caused other manufacturers concern.
There are a lot of sportbikes that run exhausts which aren't emissions compliant. In fact, a lot of riders view adding race pipes as a necessary step in getting a machine to run properly.
It'll be interesting to see how things shake out. I was chatting to someone who works in the industry last night, and he thought that the EPA's action might encourage other countries to pursue similar claims. There was a proposal in the EU for anti-tamper ECU systems a few years back.
In the long term it might not be a bad thing. If manufacturers have to get a bike running properly out of the box, rather than expecting owners to replace the exhaust and run a Power Commander, then that would be a win. We'll see.
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If anyone is interested in Café Racers, there's a scan of a mid-seventies Read Titan catalogue on Flickr at:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/caferacingparts/sets/72157627096530960/show/
You can actually get some of the fibreglass body parts from suppliers like Airtech or Glass from the Past.
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I'm thinking about adding the fairing to my Thruxton, and heard that Peter Stevens in Geelong had a few bikes with them fitted. Since the weather was lovely today, I figured it'd be rude not to take a run out there.
The Thruxton R doesn't come in green, but this one has been resprayed. It looks rather nice, and note the matching Bell Bullitt perched on the seat.
The fairing kit includes clamps to lower the handlebars, and this also moves them forward a few inches. I thought that this actually made it a lot more comfortable than stock.
The bike also had the official Triumph tail tidy fitted. It really cleans up the back end.
This is my bike from the same angle.
The other option is the flyscreen, but it's pretty much vertical, and the fairing looks better. My wallet doesn't like the potential impact though…
Bell are currently making the coolest lids, and have just (re)launched the Moto 3. I tried one on today, it's very light. The fit is a bit different to the Bullitt, and I needed to go down a size.
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the inner marvel fanboy in me is screaming for this. hjc licensed the marvel characters. iron man, capt, punisher spidey and venom to come..
